Selectmen see a flashing red budget light

Thursday

May 3, 2007 at 12:01 AMMay 3, 2007 at 3:01 AM

HALIFAX— Raises for the police and fire chief caught the eye of selectmen as they met with members of the Finance Committee to discuss the town’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Both Police Chief Michael Manoogian and Fire Chief Lance Benjamino would receive nearly $13,000 raises if the budget is passed as written.

The total operating budget for the town has been set at $18, 254, 613. In order to balance the budget, the town had to spend all available free cash and overlay surplus money. $30,000 also had to be taken from what Executive Administrator Charlie Seelig called “the last of the piggy banks,” the stabilization fund. “It’s not a good idea to subsidize income from savings,” he said. The stabilization fund currently has $700,000 in it.
Matthew Nadler

Raises for the police and fire chief caught the eye of selectmen as they met with members of the Finance Committee to discuss the town’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Both Police Chief Michael Manoogian and Fire Chief Lance Benjamino would receive nearly $13,000 raises if the budget is passed as written.

The total operating budget for the town has been set at $18, 254, 613. In order to balance the budget, the town had to spend all available free cash and overlay surplus money. $30,000 also had to be taken from what Executive Administrator Charlie Seelig called “the last of the piggy banks,” the stabilization fund. “It’s not a good idea to subsidize income from savings,” he said. The stabilization fund currently has $700,000 in it.

“It stands out,” Bruno said of the raises for the two chiefs. Finance Committee member Karen Fava, who worked on the raises with the Wage and Personnel Board told selectmen that the two were being paid “way below” what similar towns paid for those positions. Benjamino, especially, had taken on more responsibility, with the shift to a full-time, all-day fire department. Every other department head is taking on greater responsibility as the town grows, Bruno replied. “We didn’t get other requests,” Fava said. Backing up her fellow committee member, Finance Committee chair Kim Roy argued that the raises were based on the position, not the person holding it.

Bruno was further concerned with how town unions, especially public safety unions, would react to the raises. “I don’t know what you’re going to tell them,” he said. Most town unions were receiving 3 percent raises, he said.

The long-term effect of the raises concerned Selectman Troy Garron. “Is it sustainable?” he asked.

Neither selectman thought it likely they would support the raises. Selectman Peg Fitzgerald was not present for the discussion, having been called away due to a family emergency.

A lack of communication also concerned selectmen, who said they had no previous knowledge of the requested raises. Letters were sent to the Finance Committee, and Wage and Personnel Board, but not them. The Finance Committee, said Roy, was surprised selectmen were unaware of the request.

There was some good budget news, Seelig said, as additional state funds likely meant the Silver Lake School Committee would be lowering its assessment. The committee had yet to officially act because, Seelig said, it had yet to receive official word from the state. In the meantime, the town would likely have to approve the budget as written. The mild winter also provided an unexpected benefit, as a surplus from the snow and ice account was set to be used to pay for a $208,000 increase in special education costs.